GEN1318 Leah was no less envious of Rachel than Rachel was of her.   True, Rachel did not have children, but Jacob loved her more than he loved Leah.  This infuriated and pained Leah, and provoked her envy (see, for example, [this verse]).   TELVOL1: 300

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GEN1326 Envy makes it difficult if not impossible for people to think clearly about the person they envy.  Often the conclusions envious people draw are the precise opposite of the truth.   For example, Laban repeatedly tried to cheat his son-in-law Jacob, yet Jacob, favored by God, amassed wealth.   Laban’s envious sons responded to this by claiming that Jacob “owes everything he owns to our father. All his wealth is at our father’s expense.” [this verse]. In actuality, as the Bible makes clear, it was Laban who was blessed by Jacob working for him.   TELVOL1: 301 [See also 26:14 TELVOL 1:301]

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GEN1329 Rabbi Shammai teaches: “Receive every person with a cheerful expression” The Ethics of the Fathers 1:15.  … If we are aware that we are in a bad mood and find it hard to greet others cheerfully, we should quickly note to the people whom we meet that we are upset about something, so that they won’t feel that we’re irked at them.   That the lack of a smile and a friendly demeanor does often reflect ill will is reflected in Jacob’s statement to his wives, Rachel and Leah, when he tells them that they must leave their father Laban’s house [this verse].  … So important is it to cultivate a pleasant facial expression that the Talmud teaches that “the man who shows his teeth to his friend in a smile is better than one who gives him milk to drink” Ketubot 111b.   In short, smiles are a powerful form of nourishment and inspiration. The Talmud teaches elsewhere: “If you see a student whose studies are as hard for him as iron, attribute it to his teacher’s failure to show him a cheerful countenance.” Ta’anit 8a  TELVOL 1:122-4

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GEN1346 The belief that anger is always illegitimate continues to be embraced by many religious people. … [however] there are times when anger is an appropriate response to others’ cruel or otherwise wrongful behavior, and any lesser response is wrong.  Among the instances of morally appropriate anger expressed by God and human beings in the Bible [is] [against those who are ungrateful].   Laban prospered from Jacob’s twenty-year stewardship over his flocks, yet never thanked him.  Instead he tried to lower Jacob’s wages.  In response, [this verse].  TELVOL1:259

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GEN1441 We should be particularly careful not to speak ill of family member.   [This verse] is the first of several details the Torah provides about Joseph’s relationship with is brothers, who soon came to hate him.   The most obvious lesson is that parents should discourage their children from informing on each other. It is good for a child to report if he or she is being bullied or otherwise taken advantage of.   But the verse implies that Joseph was steadily bringing back negative reports about his brothers’ actions, something that should not be done unless the misbehavior is extreme.   … Because of thoughtless remarks, family members become categorized as “the selfish one,” “the fool,” the bad-tempered one,” or “the incompetent.”  … Lashon hara is often responsible for the common phenomenon of close relatives who are not on speaking terms.  In many instances, these family feuds start with hurtful comments one relative makes about another.  Almost invariably, the objects of the complaints eventually hear about the gossip, and from that point on the antagonism escalates.   TELVOL1:336

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GEN1447 Even on purely prudential grounds, a parent should act the same way toward all his children.  Thus, if a parent truly does love one child more than the others, he does the child great harm by making that known and causing the child’s siblings to envy him or her.  One suspects that, during Joseph’s days as a slave and prisoner in Egypt, he did not remember Jacob’s favoritism with gratitude.   Indeed, that might be the explanation for an action (or rather non-action) of Joseph’s that is otherwise inexplicable. When he was elevated to a high position in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh, he made no effort to contact his father and inform him that he was alive and well. Was he perhaps feeling some anger toward his father, whose behavior had helped provoke his brother’s animosity, and bring about their terrible crime of selling him into slavery in Egypt? … The story of Joseph shows that favoritism can be just as cruel to the favored child as it is to the others.   TELVOL 1:310

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GEN1452 We should not speak about our achievements to others, unless there is a pressing reason to do so.  Proverbs 27:2 advises, “Let a stranger praise you and not your own mouth.”   Although it is sometimes tempting to flaunt our accomplishments, we should try to refrain from doing so.   If we have achieved a great deal and are eager to impress others, restraining ourselves can be difficult. Therefore, we should work on developing this trait one occasion at a time.   We should resolve that the next time we are at a social gathering, we will not mention any personal achievement unless it is absolutely germane to the conversation. People who brag a lot about their accomplishments reveal a desperate need for recognition, admiration, and praise.   Therefore, although braggarts come across as conceited, their boasting often reflects a low sense of self-regard.   … Bragging, which often provokes annoyance and animosity in listeners, can also be self-destructive. The Bible informs us that when Joseph told his brothers of his dreams that they would one day bow down to him, “they hated him even more” [they already despite him for being their father’s favorite]. Later it was this boasting that served as the brothers’’ rationale for plotting his murder.   In addition,  “When a man boasts, if he is a sage, his wisdom departs from him.” Pesachim 66b.   Boasting causes us to stop thinking critically about ourselves, and therefore makes us more likely to say or do foolish things.  TELVOL 1:223-4

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GEN1464 Everyone needs to repent, for we all do wrongful acts sometimes.   As the Bible teaches, “There is not one righteous person on earth who does only good and never sins” Ecclesiastes 7:20. The Bible underscores this by describing transgressions and even crimes committed by its greatest figures, e.g. Judah arranges to sell his brother Joseph into slavery.  TELVOL 1:150

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GEN1465 See [[GEN1242]] Genesis 27:18 went TELVOL1 401-2

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GEN1483 It would seem to be permitted to deceive someone who has deceived you, in order to undo the damage. … According to an ancient tradition – which Torah law later incorporated – since both of Shelah’s brothers had been childless at the time of their deaths, [Judah] was obligated to marry Tamar. … Tamar, who was legally forbidden to marry any other man, set out to deceive and seduce Judah into sleeping with her … [s]he did this because she did not want to be left both unmarried and forever childless.   The biblical text clearly sees Tamar’s act of deception as a legitimate act of self-defense on her part (indeed, Perez, the older of the twin sons who resulted from this act of deception, became an ancestor of King David, and thus of Judaism’s messianic line). Judah himself recognized that Tamar’s act was justified.   When he learned of her deception, he declared Genesis 38:26, “She is more righteous than I.” TELVOL1:435-6

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