PARSHAT VAYEITZEI – LONGING

בס"ד

Parashat Vayetze – Longing

Parashat Vayetze This week’s Torah reading relates the stories of Yaakov and his family. At one point, when he run away from the house of Lavan, his father in law, Lavan pursued Yaakov and complained: why did you steal my G-ds? The analysis of this question in the original Hebrew sheds some light into spiritual exile. Based on Hitvaaduiot 5746,, vol. 1, p. 664.

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Vayetze – The Double Expression in Lavan’s Words

This week’s Torah reading is Vayetze — “And he went out.”
It tells the story of Yaakov’s growth and the building of his family.

There is one verse in this portion, in the conversation between Lavan and Yaakov, where Lavan repeats two words twice. To understand this repetition in Bereishit 31:30, we first need the brief background of what happened.

A Short Background

Yaakov left Be’er Sheva because his brother Esav wanted to kill him. He traveled to Charan, to the house of Lavan, his future father-in-law.

• He worked 14 years for Lavan’s two daughters — first Leah, then Rachel (though he originally intended to marry Rachel alone).
• Afterwards, he worked 6 additional years to acquire sheep and wealth.

After 20 years, Yaakov decided to leave. He spoke with his wives and departed without asking Lavan’s permission.

When Lavan heard that Yaakov had left, he chased after him. He confronted Yaakov with anger:

• “Why did you leave my house?”
• “Why did you take my daughters?”
• “I have the power to harm you, but your G-d appeared to me and told me not to speak to you neither good nor bad.”
• “If you longed for your father’s house — fine. Go. But why did you steal my G-ds?”

Rachel had secretly taken Lavan’s terafim. The commentaries debate their nature, but that is not the focus here.

The Double Expression

In the Hebrew text, Lavan repeats himself:

• “You went, went…”
• “…because you longed, longed for your father’s house.”

This repetition does not appear in most translations, but it is clear in the original Hebrew. We need to understand:

• Yaakov never left Lavan’s house before this moment.
• So why does Lavan say “you went, went”?
• And why double “you longed, longed”?

When the Torah repeats a word, it indicates something deep within the person or action described.

Why “You Went, Went”?

Yaakov had already expressed to Lavan that he wanted to leave many years earlier — after the 14 years of working for Leah and Rachel. He said:

“I want to leave your house.”

At that moment, he had already spiritueel left.
He no longer felt that he belonged in Lavan’s home.
But Lavan persuaded him to stay another six years.

Thus, Lavan now complains:

• “You already left me once — in your mind and in your heart.”
• “You lived as someone who had already departed.”
• “Yet you stayed.”
• “So why now do you actually leave?”

This is the meaning behind the double expression:
two departures — one inner, one outer.

Why “You Longed, Longed”?

Lavan also recognized something else:

From the moment Yaakov arrived, he never wanted to be in Charan. His true desire was to be at home with his father, learning Torah in a holy environment.

That longing was continuous and strong.
Therefore, Lavan says:

“You longed, longed for your father’s house.”

Meaning:

• You longed already from the beginning.
• You longed even more strongly now.

The Lesson

The parsha is called Vayetze — “And he went out.”
Just as Yaakov left the place where he did not truly belong, we too live in a kind of exile.

Exile does not mean simply living outside the Land of Israel.
Exile means the concealment of G-d’s presence.

Even in Israel, one can live in exile if G-dliness is hidden.

The prophets — especially Isaiah — describe the future time when G-d will be openly revealed and “all flesh will see” His presence.

Right now, we do not see that.
We are spiritually far from our true home — just as Yaakov was far from Yitzchak.

To live properly in exile, a person must:

• know that he does niet truly belong here,
• and cultivate a deep longing for the revelation of G-d.

Learning about the coming of Mashiach, about what divine revelation means, and about the purpose for which G-d created the world — these studies awaken a deep longing in the heart.

Each of us can live this way.
It depends on a simple choice:
to learn about the purpose of creation,
and to feel the longing for the moment when G-d’s presence will be revealed here in this world.

Spreekbeurt van rabbijn Tuvia Serber


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