21) \u201cThis is what you shall say to my lord Esau: \u2018Your servant Jacob says the following: \u2018I have resided with Laban.\u2019\u2019\u201d Jacob immediately opened, to turn into a slave before him so Esau would not look upon the blessings that his father had blessed him, because Jacob left them for the end of days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
22) What did Jacob see that he sent for Esau and said, \u201cI have resided with Laban\u201d? Did he do it on a mission from Esau? Rather, Laban the Aramean, a voice walked in the world, as no man has ever been saved from him, because he was the soothsayer of soothsayers and the greatest charmer, and the father of Be\u2019or, and Be\u2019or was the father of Balaam, as it is written, \u201cBalaam\u2026 son of Be\u2019or, the soothsayer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And Laban was more versed in soothsaying and wizardry than them, but he still could not prevail over Jacob. And he wanted to destroy Jacob in several ways, as it is written, \u201cA wandering Aramean was my father.\u201d For this reason, he sent for him and said, \u201cI have resided with Laban,\u201d to let him know of his strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
23) The whole world knew that Laban was the greatest of all sages and soothsayers and charmers. And one who Laban wished to destroy could not be saved from him. And all that Balaam knew came from Laban. It is written about Balaam, \u201cfor I know that he whom thou blesses is blessed.\u201d It is all the more so with Laban. And the whole world feared Laban and his magic. Hence, the first word that Jacob sent to Esau was, \u201cI have resided with Laban.\u201d And not for a short time, but for twenty years was I belated with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
24) Also, he told him, \u201cI have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants.\u201d Oxen and donkeys are two sentences, harm-doers, for when the two conjoin, they join only to damage the world. This means that it is not their way to harm, except when they conjoin. This is why it is written, \u201cThou shall not plow with an ox and an ass together,\u201d since by doing so one causes these two varmints, ox and ass, to conjoin and damage the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
25) \u201cFlocks, male servants, and female servants\u201d are the lower Ketarim [plural of Keter] of the shells, which the Creator killed in Egypt. They are called, \u201cfirst-born of cattle,\u201d \u201cfirst-born of the captive,\u201d and the \u201cfirst-born of the female servant, as it is written, \u201cflocks, male servants, and female servants.\u201d Esau was immediately afraid and came to meet him. And he feared Jacob, as Jacob feared Esau.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
26) It is like a person who is walking along the road, and as he walks, he hears of a certain robber who is lurking on the way. He meets a man and tells him, \u201cSay, who are you?\u201d He tells him, \u201cI am from a regiment of a certain army.\u201d He tells him, \u201cTurn away from me, for all who come near me, I bring a serpent and I kill him.\u201d That man went to the commander of the regiment and told him, \u201cA man is coming; and anyone who comes near him, he throws a serpent at him, which bites him, and he dies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
27) The commander of the regiment heard it and feared. He said, \u201cIt is best to walk toward him and appease him.\u201d When that man saw the commander, he was afraid and said, \u201cWoe unto me, the commander will kill me know.\u201d He began to bow and kneel before him. The commander said, \u201cIf he had a serpent who could kill, he would not bow like that before me.\u201d The commander began to proud himself and said, \u201cSince he bowed before me so, I will not kill him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
28) \u201cThus says your servant Jacob, \u2018I have resided with Laban\u2019\u201d I stayed with him for twenty years, and I am bringing a serpent to kill people.\u201d Esau heard. He said, \u201cWoe, who would rise against him, for now Jacob will kill me with his mouth\u201d because he thought that since he had defeated Laban, Balaam\u2019s father, his strength must be as great as the strength of Balaam, of whom it is written, \u201che whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed,\u201d and he whom you light up is lit up, and he can kill with his mouth. Thus, he began to walk toward him to appease him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
29) And when Jacob saw him, it is written, \u201cThen Jacob was greatly afraid and was distressed.\u201d And when he came near him, Jacob began to kneel and to bow before him, as it is written, \u201cand bowed himself to the ground seven times.\u201d Esau said, \u201cif he had so much power, he would not have bowed before me,\u201d and he began to pride himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
30) It is written about Balaam, \u201cAnd God came unto Balaam at night.\u201d Of Laban it says, \u201cAnd God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream of the night.\u201d Thus, Laban was as great as Balaam. It is written, \u201cAnd [He] said to him, \u2018Be careful lest you speak to Jacob.\u2019\u201d Laban did not chase Jacob by the power of men to wage war against him, because the power of Jacob and his sons was greater than theirs. Rather, he chased him to kill him with his mouth and to obliterate everything, as it is written, \u201cA wandering1<\/sup><\/a> Aramean was my father.\u201d This is why it is written, \u201cthou speak not,\u201d and it is not written, \u201cthou do not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 31) This is the testimony that the Creator commanded to testify. It is written, \u201cAnd thou shall speak and say before the Lord thy God: ‘A wandering Aramean was my father.\u201d \u201c\u2026and say\u201d means, as it is written, \u201cThou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor,\u201d and so he so bore against his brother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 32) It is written about Balaam, \u201che went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments,\u201d for so is his way, because he was an charmer. Also, it is written about Laban, \u201cI enchanted,\u201d for he looked in his charms and his magic, to know Jacob\u2019s dealings. And when he wanted to destroy Jacob with soothsaying and charms, the Creator did not leave Jacob, for He told him, \u201clest you speak.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 33) As Balaam, the son of Laban\u2019s son said, \u201cFor there is no enchantment with Jacob,\u201d meaning who can overcome them? This is because my old man wished to destroy their father with his enchantment and charms and failed, since the Creator did not enable him to curse, as it is written, \u201cFor there is no enchantment with Jacob, neither is there any divination with Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 34) And Laban worked against Jacob with all ten kinds of soothsaying and magic from the illumination of the lower Ketarim but could not overcome him, since Laban had made them all against him and he did not succeed in harming him, as it is written, \u201cand changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.\u201d And it is written, \u201cunto the satyrs, after whom they go astray.\u201d Counting are kinds,2<\/sup><\/a> and ten kinds are of soothsaying and magic in the lower Ketarim of the shells, and Laban had made them all against him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 35) They are ten kinds, as it is written, divination, a soothsayer, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or one that consults a ghost or a familiar spirit, or a necromancer, thus ten. And it seems as though The Zohar<\/em> considers the word \u201csoothsaying\u201d as two kinds, since it is in plural form [in Hebrew].<\/p>\n\n\n\n 36) Divination and charm are two kinds, and they count as one degree. And when Balaam came up against Israel, he used divination, as it is written, \u201cdivination in their hand.\u201d But against Jacob, Laban came with an enchantment, but he did not succeed, as it is written, \u201cFor there is no enchantment with Jacob, neither is there any divination with Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 37) Balaam said to Balak, \u201cWho can defeat them,\u201d since all the divination and charms in our Ketarim from the illumination of the upper Malchut are crowned, and he, ZA, is tied to them in Israel, as it is written, \u201cthe Lord his God is with him, and the shouting for the King is in him.\u201d This is why we cannot defeat them with our charms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 38) Balaam did not know anything of the upper Kedusha [holiness], since the Creator did not want any nation or tongue to use His name but only His Holy sons, Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 39) Those who are impure, impurity is made for them to be made impure. It is written about them, \u201che shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his dwelling be,\u201d outside of Kedusha. And the impure calls upon the impure, as it is written, \u201cand shall cry: \u2018Unclean, unclean.\u2019\u201d This is because one who is impure calls upon the impure; everything leans toward its own kind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 40) Is it fitting for Jacob, who was holy, to say that he was defiled by Laban and his charms? Is it possible that this is considered a praise for him? For he said, \u201cI have resided with Laban.\u201d It is written, \u201cI am Esau your first-born.\u201d Is it appropriate for a righteous such as Jacob to change his name for the name of one how is impure? The reason is that in the Anochi [I am], there is a Taam [special pronunciation of the text] that is a stop, since there is a Pashta [a Taam that marks a stop] under the Anochi, and a Zakef Katon [a less noticeable stop then the Pashta] under \u201cEsau your first-born.\u201d Their pronunciation separates the word \u201cI am\u201d from \u201cEsau your first-born,\u201d and this means that he said, \u201cI am who I am, but Esau is your first-born.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 41) \u201cAnd I have oxen, and donkeys,\u201d meaning do not aim your heart and desire to that blessing that my father blessed me, to think that it came true in me. He blessed me, as it is written, \u201cBe lord over thy brethren, and thy mother’s sons will bow down to thee.\u201d Because of that I tell you, \u201cYour servant Jacob, unto my lord Esau.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He blessed me with plenty of grain and wine. But it did not come true in me because I did not treasure them. Rather, as it is written, \u201cAnd I have oxen, and donkeys and flocks, and men-servants,\u201d a shepherd in the field. He blessed me with the dew of the heaven and the oils of the earth. But it did not come true in me. I only resided with Laban as a stranger who had no home. It is even more so with the oils of the earth\u2014it did not come true in me for I had no land; I only resided with Laban. And all this was said only so he would not look upon Jacob and envy him for the blessings and will complain about him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is why he said, \u201cI have dwelled with Laban.\u201d Not because he was vaunting about it before Esau. On the contrary, he mentioned it in condemnation, to prove to him that he was a stranger, without a land and without a home. And the reason he brings as proof the verse, \u201cI am Esau, your first-born,\u201d is to prove to him that everything follows the intention and it is not considered that he sinned that he named himself with the name of an impure one. Here, too, he intended only to disgrace, and it is not considered that he sinned if it seems from the words that he was vaunting about his joining an impure man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 42) It is written about Jacob, \u201ca quiet [in Hebrew\u2014whole] man, dwelling in tents.\u201d He is called a whole man because he dwells in two upper abodes, which are Bina and Malchut, Rachel\u2019s tent and Leah\u2019s tent, and he complements to this side and to that side, since he decides between the right line and the left and complements them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And when he said, \u201cI have resided with Laban,\u201d he did not say that he was defiled by the charms of Laban, but rather, \u201cI have resided with Laban,\u201d to show that his heart was whole, in gratitude for the grace and truthfulness that the Creator had done with him. The entire world knew of the deeds of Laban, and no one can be spared from his slandering, for he wanted to destroy me and the Creator saved me from him. It is for this reason that he said, \u201cI have resided with Laban.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was all so that Esau would not envy him for the blessings, so he would not think that they came true in him, and will not be vengeful toward him. It is written about that, \u201cFor the ways of the Lord are right,\u201d and it is written, \u201cThou shall be whole-hearted with the Lord thy God.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 21) \u201cThis is what you shall say to my lord Esau: \u2018Your servant Jacob says the following: \u2018I have resided […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":8230,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"topic":[28],"class_list":["post-8232","book","type-book","status-publish","hentry","topic-zohar"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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