Parshas Vayeitzei: Minimizing the Test
Rabbi Mendy Stern
Towards the end of the Parsha, Yaakov Avinu realized that Lavan was no longer kindly disposed towards him. Hashem then appeared to Yaakov and commanded him to leave Lavan’s house, and return to his father’s house in Eretz Yisroel. To this end, Yaakov conferred with his wives Rochel and Leah. He explained to them that their father Lavan was out to get him, and how it would now be beneficial to leave Lavan’s house. He also informed them of Hashem’s command that they return to Eretz Yisroel. Rochel and Leah responded by affirming at length how they had been distanced and estranged by their father, and therefore felt no compunction about leaving his house to return with Yaakov to Eretz Yisroel. At the end of their statement, in an apparent afterthought, they added, “And now, all that Hashem has commanded you, you should do.”
Rochel and Leah’s response seems puzzling. They had heard and believed in Hashem’s command. Hashem’s word should have been sufficient for them. Of what relevance was any further justification due to their father’s parental failings?
I heard from my 12th grade Rebbe, Rav Leib Taub, in the name of Rav Yisroel Salanter, that a person’s job in this world is, “להגדיל היראה ולהקטין הנסיון -to increase his fear of Heaven and to lessen the severity of the test. In other words, one should use a two pronged approach in fighting the Yetzer Harah. On the one hand he should do the work to increase his fear of Heaven to a level which can directly overpower the temptations of the Yetzer Harah. On the other hand, he should, as much as possible, try not to fight against the full strength and power of the Yetzer Harah. He should weaken the Yetzer Harah by lessening the severity of the test. One effective way to do this is by logically considering the practical consequences of the sin, making it less attractive. Then his fear of Heaven will hopefully be able to do the rest.
Rochel and Leah were faced with a test. They were being asked to uproot themselves from their home and family, and travel to a foreign land. Certainly they could have simply said, “We will do what Hashem commanded.” Instead, however, Rochel and Leah chose first to minimize the challenge before attempting to pass it. They first focused on why leaving their home would not be quite so hard, and only afterwards did they attack the Yetzer Harah directly, committing to following Hashem’s command.
We all face tests and challenges in life. If we try to overcome them by brute force, just by willpower alone, we may not always succeed. However, if we use this technique that we learn from Rochel and Leah, first decreasing the challenge and then only then attacking, we will find ourselves being much more successful.May we all merit to pass all of our tests successfully. Have a wonderful Shabbos.
