GEN1333 The Mishnah Avot 5:10 teaches that refraining from speaking in the presence of a distinguished person is one of the signs of wisdom.   The Midrash describes the consequences of speaking in front of a greater person: “Why did Rachel die before her elder sister? Because she spoke in the presence of her sister, as [this verse] says, “And Rachel and Leah answered him and they said to him…”   She was punished even though Yaakov called Rachel first, as the verse says, “And Yaakov sent word and he called to Rachel and to Leah.”   [See also 49:5 WAGS 74] WAGS 73-4

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GEN1334 The Hebrew term for falsely propping oneself up [is] Genaivat Da’at, which technically means “stealing someone else’s thoughts.”   It signifies a conscious effort by an individual to look better than he or she actually deserves to be viewed in the eyes of another person or other people or, similarly, it means making an object for sale appear more desirable and valuable than it really is.   … Jacob, who lived in [his father-in-law] Lavan’s home for twenty years, snuck away at night because he was afraid that Lavan would never let him leave.  Lavan’s reaction to Jacob’s leaving (when he caught up to him) was to say, “What did you do? Why did you steal my heart?” In the next verse he again says, “You stole me,” because he escaped and ran away.   Rashi says these phrases in the verse refer to Genaivat Da’at – i.e., that Lavan accused Jacob of appearing to be friendly, appreciative, and satisfied with is life in Lavan’s house, when he obviously was not.   Chatam Sofer comments that this feigning by Jacob to Lavan would generally be forbidden for a Jew, even towards a non-Jew like Lavan, but he explains that Jacob legitimately did this only because he was afraid for his life.   AMJV 260

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GEN1335 [One of the features of the ethic of Torah that makes it transformative and uniquely sustainable over time … is] a strange feature of the book of Genesis. We normally think of Judaism as Abrahamic monotheism, and monotheism itself as a rejection of and protest against the polytheism of the ancient world. Yet Genesis contains not a single polemic against idolatry. Other than an obscure reference to Rachel stealing her father’s terafim,   “household gods” or “fetishes” [this verse], there is not even one mention of it. Yet there is no doubt that the story of Genesis from chapter twelve to the end is about a single and singular family that lives differently from the nations and cultures that surrounded. Of what does this difference consist? There is a connecting theme. Whenever a member of the covenantal family leaves the matrix of the family, he or she encounters a world of sexual anomie.  Three times Abraham and Isaac are forced to leave home because of famine and on each occasion feel themselves to be in danger of their lives. They will be killed so that their wives can be taken into the royal harem Genesis 12,20,26. When two strangers, who turn out to be angels, visit Lot in Sodom, the people of the town surround Lot’s house demanding that he bring them out for the purpose of homosexual rape. When Dina goes out to visit Shechem, she is abducted and raped by the local Prince. When Joseph, in Egypt, is left alone with his master’s wife, she attempts to seduce him and when he resists has him imprisoned on a false charge of rape. Even the members of Abraham’s family themselves become corrupted when they live among the people. Lot’s daughters get their father drunk and have incestuous relationship with him. Judah, who has left his brothers to live among the Canaanites, feels no qualms about having sex with a woman he takes to be a prostitute. A truly remarkable idea is being formulated here: that there is a connection between idolatry and sexual lawlessness.   SACKS xxvii [Continued at [[GEN969]] Genesis 18:19 instruct SACKS xxvii-viii]

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GEN1336 See [[GEN1337]] Genesis 31:20 dark FREUND 84

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GEN1337 … throughout Genesis, J and E do not use the same terminology to describe deception and lying. In the final scene of the Jacob/Laban deceptions, Rachel steals (ganav) her father’s idols and then E states [this verse]: “And Laban deceived (ganav lev) Laban the Aramean, in that he did not tell him that he intended to flee” using the unique terminology for deception, ganav lev (literally: “stole the heart”). This terminology is used again in [Genesis] 31:26 – 27 to describe Laban’s outrage at the deceptions … What emerges from E’s account is that Jacob is not seen as a deceiver, but rather as an instrument for carrying out divine retribution for deception by Laban. Similarly, in Exodus 1:15-21, (an E text) Shifra and Puah are directed in their deception of Pharaoh by their “fear” of God. Even Rachel’s stealing of her father’s idols in Genesis 31:19 [author cites Genesis 31:27] appears to be directed by divine intentions.

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GEN1338 We can understand that Lavan should not speak evil to Jacob, but why not good?  This teaches us that the good of the wicked is evil to the righteous.   And what evil can arise here? He might promise him good in the name of his gods Yevamot 103b TEMIMAH-GEN 135-6

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GEN1339 See [[GEN1337]] Genesis 31:20 dark FREUND 84

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GEN1340 See [[GEN1337]] Genesis 31:20 dark FREUND 84

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GEN1341 See [[GEN1354]] Genesis 31:44 pack CASE 26-27

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GEN1342 See [[GEN1354]] Genesis 31:44 pack CASE 26-27

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