A truce for Jacob and Laban

Hello Alan, before we start have you made any progress on your D'var Torah?

< = = = Yes sir. I finished a draft of a section today, please let me share what I've done:

My intent is to be found righteous like Abraham. For that to happen I need to make as many wise life choices as possible. Since I am certain to die I need to also consider my legacy, that which is left behind after I am gone. Whatever my legacy is, it comes in two parts: physical, (Money, goods, and may be managed by a trust, or will), and spiritual, (beliefs, traditions, writings). Some legacies are completely disorganized and those left behind are put in the position of cleaning up. Other legacies are well managed, including an ethical will.

"A righteous Jew should create and maintain an ethical will to pass on their values, wisdom, and life lessons to future generations, ensuring that their beliefs and traditions continue. This practice strengthens family bonds and provides guidance and a sense of purpose for loved ones.

The practice of writing ethical wills has deep roots in Jewish tradition, dating back thousands of years in both oral and written traditions. The Torah consolidates life lessons, wise and unwise, from great and minor figures that went before us and can be thought of as God's Ethical will for his people. " = = = >

That's excellent Alan, it's not entirely fair to ask someone not yet 13 what they sense about God's call on their life, but take some time to think and pray and whatever you discern will cap off that section of your essay. Now, let's close out Jacob and Laban.

43 Then Laban replied to Jacob, “These women are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, and these flocks are my flocks—in fact, everything you see is mine. But what can I do now about my daughters and their children? 44 So come, let’s make a covenant, you and I, and it will be a witness to our commitment.”

45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a monument. 46 Then he told his family members, “Gather some stones.” So they gathered stones and piled them in a heap. Then Jacob and Laban sat down beside the pile of stones to eat a covenant meal. 47 To commemorate the event, Laban called the place Jegar-sahadutha (which means “witness pile” in Aramaic), and Jacob called it Galeed (which means “witness pile” in Hebrew).

48 Then Laban declared, “This pile of stones will stand as a witness to remind us of the covenant we have made today.” This explains why it was called Galeed—“Witness Pile.” 49 But it was also called Mizpah (which means “watchtower”), for Laban said, “May the LORD keep watch between us to make sure that we keep this covenant when we are out of each other’s sight. 50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you marry other wives, God will see it even if no one else does. He is a witness to this covenant between us.

51 “See this pile of stones,” Laban continued, “and see this monument I have set between us. 52 They stand between us as witnesses of our vows. I will never pass this pile of stones to harm you, and you must never pass these stones or this monument to harm me. 53 I call on the God of our ancestors—the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of my grandfather Nahor—to serve as a judge between us.” So Jacob took an oath before the fearsome God of his father, Isaac, to respect the boundary line. 54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice to God there on the mountain and invited everyone to a covenant feast. After they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.

55 Laban got up early the next morning, and he kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned home. Genesis 31:43 - 55 NLT

We are in the Middle East, somewhere around 1740 BC, from the lesson last week and today, what can we say about Laban?

< = = = I'd say he lost even more credibility with his family, friends, neighbors, and allies. He rode out like a posse to get back what was his. But God told him to leave Jacob alone. Then he has a speech, its all mine. Then Jacob argues back accusing him of changing his wages ten times. And as you say, it's the Middle East where they all stay in close proximity, privacy is almost non-existent. All these people saw Laban get dressed down and knew it was the truth. And he returns to Haran empty handed.

That night, when Alan Cohen was getting ready for bed he prayed for understanding of the Lord's call on his life. He also prayed for understanding who and what John Comfort is.