Torah Reading: Genesis 28:10 to 32:3
Haftarah Reading: Hosea 11:7 to 12:12 or 12:13 to 14:10.
In this week's parasha Jacob, having tricked his father into giving the better blessing, flees from the anger of his brother Esau to his Uncle Laban in Mesopotamia. Laban has two daughters - Jacob's first cousins - Leah the elder and Rachel the younger. Jacob falls in love with Rachel and agrees to work seven years to wed her. But Laban deceives his nephew twice.
First, on their wedding night, Laban substitutes Leah for Rachel. Jacob consummates the marriage, not knowing the woman that he is having sex with is Leah. Uncle Laban then insists that he work another seven years, 14 years in all, for Rachel. But how could Jacob have been fooled? Didn't he recognize that Leah was not his bride? And why did Rachel go along with her father's scheme? Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev taught that Rachel would not put her sister to shame. So she taught Leah all the secret signs of love between herself and Jacob so that Jacob would be fooled.
Second, years later, Laban finally agrees to pay his nephew by giving him the choicest animals of the herd, but then Laban sends his sons to drive away the animals that Jacob has chosen (Genesis 30: 35-36). So, why did Jacob and his two wives put up with all their uncle's and father's deceit? Possible answers are below the orange squiggly.
In Mishnah Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) 1:6, Rabbi Joshua ben Perachiah is quoted in what is variously translated "Judge everyone on the scale of merit," or "When you assess people, tip the balance in their favor," or simply "give everyone the benefit of the doubt." What did Rabbi Joshua ben Perachiah mean? The Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 127b, paraphrases Joshua ben Perachiah's words "Our rabbis taught: He who gives everyone the benefit of the doubt is himself judged favorably," and tells three stories to illustrate. First:
A story is told of a certain man who descended from Upper Galilee and was hired by an individual in the South for three years. On the eve of the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) he requested him, 'Give me my wages that I may go and support my wife and children.' 'I have no money,' answered he. 'Give me produce,' he demanded; 'I have none,' he replied. 'Give me land.' — 'I have none.' 'Give me cattle.' — 'I have none. 'Give me pillows and bedding.' — 'I have none.'
So he slung his things behind him and went home with a sorrowful heart. After the Festival his employer took his wages in his hand together with three laden asses, one bearing food, another drink, and the third various sweetmeats, and went to his house.
After they had eaten and drunk, he gave him his wages. Said he to him, 'When you asked me, "Give me my wages," and I answered you, "I have no money," of what did you suspect me?' 'I thought, Perhaps you came across cheap merchandise and had purchased it therewith.' 'And when you requested me, "Give me cattle," and I answered, "I have no cattle," of what did you suspect me?' 'I thought, they may be hired to others.' 'When you asked me, "Give me land," and I told you, "I have no land," of what did you suspect me?' 'I thought, perhaps it is leased to others.' 'And when I told you, "I have no produce," of what did you suspect me?' 'I thought, Perhaps they are not tithed.' 'And when I told you, "I have no pillows or bedding," of what did you suspect me?' 'I thought, perhaps he has sanctified all his property to Heaven [vowing it to the Temple]' 'By the Temple service!' exclaimed he, 'it was even so; I vowed away all my property because of my son Hyrcanus, who would not occupy himself with the Torah [hoping God would improve his son's habits], but when I went to my companions in the South they absolved me of all my vows. And as for you, just as you judged me favorably, so may the Omnipresent judge you favorably.'
And the second story:
Our Rabbis taught: It happened that a certain pious man ransomed an Israelite maiden from captivity; at the inn he made her lie at his feet. On the morrow he went down, had a ritual bath, and studied Torah with his disciples. Said he to them, 'When I made her lie at my feet, of what did you suspect me?' 'We thought, perhaps there is a disciple among us whose character is not clearly known to our Master' [so he had the young woman sleep by him to protect her from rape.] 'When I descended and had a ritual bath, of what did you suspect me?' 'We thought, perhaps through the fatigue of the journey the Master was visited by nocturnal pollution. [discharge of semen]' 'By the Temple Service!' exclaimed he to them, 'it was even so. And just as you judged me favorably, so may the Omnipresent judge you favorably.'
And the third story (which fascinated me when I was a teenager):
Our Rabbis taught: The scholars were once in need of something from a noblewoman where all the great men of Rome were to be found [euphemism for a high class prostitute]. Said they, 'Who will go?' 'I will go,' replied Rabbi Joshua. So Rabbi Joshua and his disciples went. When he reached the door of her house, he removed his tefillin at a distance of four cubits, entered, and shut the door in front of them. After he came out he descended, had a ritual bath, and learned Torah with his disciples. Said he to them, 'When I removed my tefillin, of what did you suspect me?' 'We thought, our Master reasons, "Let not sacred words enter a place of uncleanness".' 'When I shut [the door], of what did you suspect me?' 'We thought, perhaps he has to discuss an affair of State with her.' 'When I descended and had a ritual bath, of what did you suspect me?' 'We thought, perhaps some spittle spurted from her mouth upon our Rabbi's garments.' 'By the Temple Service!' exclaimed he to them', 'it was even so; and just as you judged me favorably, so may the Omnipresent judge you favorably.'
So maybe Jacob and Leah and Rachel put up with the deceit their uncle/father-in-law and father practiced upon them, because, after all, Laban was their next of kin, and certainly a loving father and uncle will not cheat his daughters and nephew. They gave Laban the benefit of the doubt. But they were wrong.
I confess I have spent more time writing and rewriting this last paragraph than the rest of this diary combined. Copying, pasting, and summarizing ancient texts is easy. Drawing lessons to apply to today can be a challenge. Judaism teaches us to give others the benefit of the doubt. So should we have given Darren Wilson and Robert McCulloch the benefit of the doubt? History is full of tyrants and aggressors who have been given the benefit of the doubt, but the confidence and trust afforded by others was found wanting. And I almost wonder if President Obama, upon assuming office on January 20, 2009, had studied this lesson from the Talmud and was inspired to give Congressional Republicans the benefit of the doubt. There comes a point where all of us, like Jacob and his wives before us, understand that there are those who lack good will and for whom we can no longer give the benefit of the doubt. Hopefully, President Obama's announcement on immigration reform by executive action demonstrates that he has reached this point. Let us work to convince those who continue to vote against their own self interest that universal access to health care, decent wages with full employment, decent schools, affordable higher education, and clean and healthy air and water, benefit us all. And we must treat each other here on Daily Kos with respect and love, giving each other the benefit of the doubt. We have our disagreements here, but we do share common goals. Insults and disrespect have no place here.
Shabbat Shalom