Clean Your House More Than Laban Did!
For November 16, 2022
Chayei Sarah - Genesis 24:31
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר בּ֖וֹא בְּר֣וּךְ יְהֹוָ֑ה לָ֤מָּה תַעֲמֹד֙ בַּח֔וּץ וְאָנֹכִי֙ פִּנִּ֣יתִי הַבַּ֔יִת וּמָק֖וֹם לַגְּמַלִּֽים׃
“Come in, O blessed of G-d he said, “why do you remain outside, when I have made ready the house and a place for the camels?”
Rashi: I have cleared the house of idols.
Siftei Chakhamim: Of idols. Otherwise, it would be sufficient to say there is a place for the camels, or a place to lodge, [without mentioning, “I have emptied the house.”]
Laban was the first anti-semite. With a kind gesture and a friendly smile, he made Jacob a non-person. Someone who is his possession. His hatred was greater than Pharaoh's. Pharaoh wished that the little boys were killed, Laban that everyone was killed.
in Pharaoh's time, he is the one who is 1 of the advisors to Pharaoh and the people.
He had the "decency" to remove his idols from his house in order to "ogle in" Eliezer and thus the wealth of Abraham.
But whether his motives were sincere or not to remove his idols from his house, we Noahs can draw the lesson from this how important it is if we let Eliezer - the knowledge we may receive from G-d's servant - into our house, that we should also rid our house of idols.
In the Divine Code it is easy to read what is meant by idols, and sometimes it is more than meets the eye.
But the biggest idol is ourselves. As long as we think we have the wisdom, that we can learn and study without the help of others, as long as we think ..... only when we surrender ourselves completely to G-d, our home, our heart, is free from idolatry.
Brought By Angelique Sijbolts
Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners and intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano.
Sources
Chabadapp: chumash with Rashi
Chabad Article: Laban the Anti-Semite
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