By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
SAN DIEGO–After Jacob leaves Laban and begins his journey back to Eretz Yisrael, Laban chases after him and accuses him of deserting him. Jacob explains his actions and Laban eventually decides to leave Jacob alone and returns to his own home.
The Torah puts it this way: “Laban returned to his place and Jacob continued on his journey.” (Gen. 22:1-2)
The commentator Mashach Chochma illuminates the Torah’s words. He writes that when the Torah says that “Laban returned to his place” it was not referring to his home or anything physical. Rather, the Torah was telling us that after leaving Jacob, Laban returned to being a deceiver, money lover, and all around bad guy. While Jacob grew and matured during his years with Laban, Laban stayed the same. He refused to grow or to allow any of Jacob’s growth to rub off on him.
Jacob, on the other hand, “continued on his journey.” He went from to step to step, ever upwards, in his quest to become a good, loving, and Godly human being. As the Talmud says, “Talmidei Chachamim (scholars) have no rest, neither in this world nor the next. They never stand but are always moving.” That is, they never stay in one place, they are always learning, growing, and expanding their knowledge and opening their souls.
So may all of us journey each day in our quest to bring holiness into our lives and into the world.
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Rabbi Rosenthal is spiritual leader of Tifereth Israel Synagogue in San Diego