Concerning
the
Debate
between
Jacob
and
Laban
Article
No.
11,
1985
We
see
that
the
debate
between
Jacob
and
Laban
was
different
from
the
debate
between
Jacob
and
Esau.
With
Jacob
and
Laban,
it
is
written,
(Genesis,
31):
“And
Laban
replied
and
said
to
Jacob:
‘The
daughters
are
my
daughters,
and
the
sons
are
my
sons,
and
the
flocks
are
my
flocks,
and
all
that
you
see
is
mine.’”
With
Jacob
and
Esau,
it
is
written
(Genesis,
33),
“And
Esau
said,
‘I
have
plenty,
my
brother;
let
what
you
have
be
yours.’”
We
should
understand
why
Laban
claimed
that
everything
was
his
and
Esau
said
to
the
contrary,
“Let
what
you
have
be
yours.”
Baal
HaSulam
explained
it
in
this
way:
It
is
known
that
there
is
the
grip
of
the
Klipot
[shells/peels],
and
there
is
the
suckling
of
the
Klipot.
He
said
that
a
grip
means
that
the
Klipa
[singular
of
Klipot]
grips
him
and
does
not
let
him
do
anything
in
Kedusha
[holiness].
For
example,
when
a
person
needs
to
rise
before
dawn
and
go
to
the
synagogue
to
engage
in
Torah,
the
Klipa
comes
and
tells
him,
“Why
are
you
tormenting
yourself?
You’re
tired;
it’s
cold
outside,”
and
other
such
arguments
of
the
inclination
that
it
is
not
worthwhile
to
get
up
and
engage
in
work.
He
replies
to
it,
“As
you
say,
but
it
is
worthwhile
to
engage
in
this
world
in
order
to
be
rewarded
with
the
next
world.”
Then
the
evil
inclination
replies
to
him:
“You
think
that
you
will
have
the
next
world
in
return
for
your
labor
in
this
world.
This
is
possible
if
a
person
engages
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
[commandments]
for
the
Creator.
But
I
know
that
you
are
doing
everything
not
for
the
Creator.
Therefore,
whom
are
you
serving?
Only
me.”
With
this
allegory
we
can
understand
his
words.
This
is
the
meaning
of
the
grip
of
the
Klipa,
which
does
not
let
him
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
This
was
Laban’s
argument:
“The
daughters
are
my
daughters
…
and
all
that
you
see
is
mine.”
That
is,
you
are
working
for
me
and
not
for
the
Creator,
so
you
cannot
hope
to
have
the
next
world.
Hence,
why
trouble
yourself
for
nothing?
With
this
force
she
grips
a
person
and
he
cannot
exit
her
influence
and
do
anything
against
her
will.
This
was
Laban’s
argument,
because
he
thought
that
with
this
argument
he
would
have
the
strength
to
grip
him
and
he
would
be
unable
to
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
But
once
he
overcame
Laban’s
argument
and
said,
“Not
true,
I
do
engage
for
the
Creator,
but
I
must
believe
that
you
were
sent
to
me
with
all
the
just
arguments
only
to
veer
me
off
from
Kedusha.
But
I
want
simply
to
serve
the
Creator,
and
you
have
no
grip
on
my
Torah
and
Mitzvot.
This
is
why
I
overcome
you
and
go
and
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
and
you
have
no
foothold
in
me
at
all.”
At
that
time
the
Klipa
approaches
in
a
different
way.
She
tells
him,
“Look,
is
there
anyone
else
like
you,
who
can
overcome
the
evil
inclination?
Look
at
the
lowliness
of
the
rest
of
the
people;
they
have
no
power
to
overcome,
while
you,
thank
God,
are
the
strongest
among
men.
It
is
certainly
not
good
for
you
to
join
them.”
At
that
time
all
his
engagement
falls
into
the
Klipa
because
she
admits
him
into
pride.
At
that
time,
one
should
overcome
and
tell
the
Klipa:
“Not
true,
I
am
no
better
than
other
people.
Everything
I
did
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
was
not
for
the
Creator;
it
was
all
for
you,
so
now
I
am
in
a
state
that
is
as
our
sages
said,
‘He
who
learns
Torah
Lo
Lishma
[not
for
Her
sake]
would
be
better
off
if
his
placenta
had
been
turned
inside
out
on
him.’
So
now
I
am
worse
than
the
rest
of
the
people.’”
This
was
Jacob’s
argument
when
he
said
to
Esau,
“‘Take
my
gift,’
and
I
want
to
begin
to
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
anew,
and
until
now
it
is
as
though
I
never
did
anything
for
the
Creator.”
But
what
does
it
say?
“And
Esau
said,
‘I
have
plenty,
my
brother;
let
what
you
have
be
yours.’”
He
did
not
want
to
receive
from
him
until
after
several
efforts
and
great
exertion.
Then,
“And
he
took
from
him,”
as
it
is
written,
“He
pleaded
with
him
and
he
took.”
It
follows
that
here,
meaning
after
the
fact,
the
matter
was
overturned.
Laban’s
argument,
who
said,
“All
that
you
see
is
mine,”
means
that
everything
belongs
to
the
Klipa.
Here
Jacob
claims
that
he
has
sent
everything
to
him
as
a
gift.
That
is,
he
is
saying
that
it
is
a
possession
of
the
Klipa.
But
what
Jacob
claimed
with
Laban
was
that
the
act
comes
first.
Jacob
argued
that
everything
belongs
to
the
Kedusha,
and
not
to
the
Klipa.
Now
Esau
is
claiming
it,
as
it
is
written,
“let
what
you
have
be
yours.”
Concerning
the
verse,
“The
camp
that
is
left
will
escape,”
RASHI
interpreted
that
he
had
prepared
himself
for
three
things:
for
a
gift,
for
a
prayer,
and
for
war.
That
is,
two
things
belong
to
Esau,
gift
and
war,
and
one
thing
belongs
to
the
Creator,
a
prayer.
In
the
work
we
should
interpret
that
all
three
things
refer
to
the
Creator.
It
is
as
Baal
HaSulam
said
about
the
verse,
“Behold,
there
is
a
place
with
Me,
and
you
shall
stand
on
the
rock”
(Exodus,
33),
that
Moses
said
to
the
Creator,
“Show
me
Your
glory.”
To
that
came
the
reply,
“And
the
Lord
said,
‘Behold,
there
is
a
place
with
Me.’”
He
interprets
ETY
[with
Me]
to
be
an
acronym
for
Emuna
[faith],
Tefillah
[prayer],
Yegia
[labor].
He
said
that
to
be
rewarded
with
the
glory
of
the
Creator
one
must
believe
in
the
Creator,
then
pray
to
the
Creator
to
bring
him
closer
to
Him.
Afterwards
one
must
labor
to
subdue
his
inclination
and
want
to
annul
himself
for
the
sake
of
the
Creator.
After
these
three
actions
he
is
rewarded
with
the
glory
of
the
Creator.
This
is
the
reply
that
the
Creator
gave
to
Moses
concerning
what
Moses
said
to
the
Creator,
“Show
me
Your
glory.”
In
the
same
way
we
should
interpret
what
RASHI
interpreted,
that
he
prepared
himself
for
a
gift,
for
a
prayer,
and
for
war.
“For
war”
means
the
war
of
the
inclination;
a
prayer
means
that
the
Creator
will
bring
him
closer,
so
as
to
achieve
his
completeness—the
degree
he
should
achieve.
A
gift
means
faith,
for
one
who
believes
in
someone,
this
is
regarded
as
giving,
as
it
is
written
about
Abraham,
“And
he
believed
in
the
Lord
and
He
regarded
it
to
him
as
righteousness”
(Genesis,
15).
RASHI
interpreted
that
the
Creator
regarded
it
for
Abram
as
a
merit
and
righteousness
for
the
faith
that
he
had
had
in
Him.
It
therefore
follows
that
all
three
things—gift,
prayer,
and
war—are
with
the
intention
that
with
these
three
things
he
will
defeat
Esau.
Also,
all
of
these
three
things
are
between
man
and
the
Creator.
We
should
not
say
that
only
prayer
is
between
man
and
the
Creator,
but
gift
and
war
refer
to
Esau.
Rather,
he
attributes
everything
to
the
Creator.
But
the
main
thing
we
should
know
is
what
is
the
discernment
of
Esau
we
must
correct.
It
is
known
that
opposite
Kedusha
there
is
Klipa.
In
general,
it
is
called
“the
Klipa
of
Esau.”
However,
there
are
many
degrees
in
the
Klipa,
and
each
discernment
has
its
own
name.
Kedusha,
too,
has
many
discernments,
and
each
discernment
has
its
own
name.
In
general,
Kedusha
is
called
Sefirot
and
Partzufim
[plural
of
Partzuf],
and
worlds.
And
in
general,
Kedusha
means
“in
order
to
bestow,”
while
Tuma’a
[impurity]
means
“in
order
to
receive,”
which
is
self-love.
When
a
person
observes
Torah
and
Mitzvot
in
order
to
receive
this
world
or
the
next
world
in
return,
these
two
discernments
are
considered
Lo
Lishma.
Only
one
who
observes
Torah
and
Mitzvot
because
“He
is
Great
and
ruling,”
meaning
because
of
the
greatness
and
importance
of
the
Creator,
this
is
called
Lishma
(see
The
Book
of
Zohar,
item
190).
This
is
called
“in
order
to
bestow
and
not
to
receive
any
reward
for
his
work,”
and
it
is
called
“pure
work.”
Work
in
order
to
bestow
can
only
be
to
the
extent
that
one
values
the
receiver
of
one’s
work.
At
that
time
one
has
the
motivation.
But
if
one
cannot
increase
the
importance
of
the
one
he
serves,
he
has
no
energy
to
work.
This
is
so
because
we
see
that
in
nature,
the
little
one
annuls
itself
before
the
great
one
as
a
candle
before
a
torch.
However,
all
the
great
work
is
to
extol
the
receiver
of
the
work,
meaning
to
recognize
His
importance.
If
he
has
nothing
with
which
to
revere
Him
within
reason,
then
our
work
is
as
Baal
HaSulam
said
when
he
interpreted
the
verse,
“Here
is
a
place
with
Me,”
that
the
Aleph
of
ETY
[with
Me]
implies
faith
above
reason.
It
follows
that
the
essence
of
man’s
work
is
to
work
above
reason,
to
appreciate
the
Creator.
In
general,
all
the
creatures
feel
the
Kedusha
as
Shechina
[Divinity]
in
the
dust.
This
is
why
it
is
said
in
all
the
books
that
every
person
should
aim,
prior
to
engaging
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
to
raise
the
Shechina
from
the
dust.
There
is
no
point
working
on
the
little
one
annulling
itself
before
the
great
one,
for
this
is
natural
for
the
little
one
to
annul
before
a
great
one.
Rather,
man’s
work
is
only
to
exert
to
recognize
the
greatness
and
importance
of
the
Creator.
In
fact,
a
person
understands
that
he
needs
to
work
for
everything
he
feels
he
needs,
except
for
the
greatness
and
importance
of
the
Creator.
Here,
we
do
not
understand
that
this
is
all
we
need.
We
can
interpret
this
with
regard
to
the
verse,
“The
righteous
has
perished
and
no
one
notices.”
The
Creator
is
called
“righteous,”
as
it
is
written,
“The
Lord
is
the
righteous.”
He
has
lost
His
importance
and
no
one
notices
that
we
need
to
work
in
order
to
acquire
His
importance.
When
a
person
feels
somewhat
elated,
he
understands
that
it
is
only
worthwhile
to
work
for
spirituality.
We
should
say
that
the
reason
is
that
he
feels
the
importance
of
spirituality
to
the
extent
that
it
is
worthwhile
to
exert
for
spirituality
and
not
for
corporeality
because
at
that
time
corporeality
loses
its
value
for
him,
and
spirituality
is
valued.
Therefore,
at
that
time
he
decides
that
only
spirituality
is
worth
working
for,
and
not
corporeality.
It
turns
out
that
all
the
ascents
and
descents
do
not
refer
to
man,
but
to
the
Kedusha.
That
is,
sometimes
the
value
of
Kedusha
is
high,
meaning
it
has
become
more
important
to
him,
and
sometimes
the
value
of
Kedusha
is
down
and
so
unappreciated
that
it
is
not
worthwhile
to
even
think
about
it.
Concerning
the
little
one
annulling
before
the
great
one,
we
found
that
it
is
said
(Yalkut
Hadash,
Chapter
1)
that
after
the
Creator
promoted
Abraham’s
reputation,
since
everyone
saw
Abraham’s
greatness,
Pharaoh
gave
Sarah
a
girl
who
was
his
daughter,
to
be
a
servant
in
Abraham’s
house.
Although
a
servant
is
a
very
inferior
degree,
since
at
that
time
servants
and
maids
had
no
rights
of
humans
at
all.
They
were
as
beasts.
Still,
he
gave
away
his
daughter
to
be
Sarah’s
maid
and
appeased
her
by
saying,
“My
daughter,
it
is
better
for
you
to
be
a
servant
in
Blessed
Abraham’s
house
than
to
be
a
queen
in
my
house.”
The
difference
between
a
person
doing
the
holy
work
for
a
reward
or
because
he
wants
to
serve
the
king
because
of
His
importance
and
greatness
is
that
if
one
is
working
in
corporeality
to
obtain
a
corporeal
reward,
we
see
that
if
a
person
has
a
way
to
be
rewarded
without
working
so
many
hours,
if
such
a
thing
is
possible
he
promptly
chooses
this
way,
since
man
loves
rest
and
relinquishes
the
pleasure
of
rest
in
order
to
be
paid.
Therefore,
if
he
can
find
a
way
not
to
have
to
labor,
he
regards
this
as
happiness.
But
one
who
works
because
of
the
greatness
of
the
King,
and
his
pleasure
is
his
great
privilege
of
serving
the
king,
it
cannot
be
said
that
he
will
not
work
and
still
be
paid,
since
his
reward
is
the
service
of
the
king.
This
is
a
clear
sign
by
which
one
sees
the
true
purpose
of
his
work—whether
it
is
for
a
reward
or
because
of
the
greatness
of
the
Creator.