Yacob Leaves The Land Of The Fathers
Yacob has already been likened to a Mazarin of the Old Covenant. He was no lover of open hostilities and in all circumstances tried to solve by peaceful methods the most delicate problems; by means of a calm and thoughtful discussion he was almost always sure to emerge unscathed from a difficult situation, even if he had not always right on his side. And it was thus he acted when he left Haran.
Yacob Holds A Family Council
From certain indications to be mentioned shortly, it seems probable that Yacob's wives and young children lived at Haran itself in the curious houses with conical roofs, while he as chief shepherd with the other shepherds followed the flocks from pasture to pasture on the grassy plain. One morning he returned to the gate of the city with his flocks, his tents, his servants and slaves. In reality Yacob had chosen his time, for then Laban was three days' journey from the city where he was supervising the shearing of a flock. We know that Yacob had no taste for a dispute, and for the moment his position was without danger.
At once he called a sort of family council with his two legitimate wives, Leah and Rachel. He explained to them his grievances against their father Laban, and recalled the very considerable hard work that he had had to do for the chieftain of the tribe. He described the threatening attitude that Laban's sons were beginning to adopt as his own flocks increased in number. His success, he explained, was due to the protection of YAHWEH WHO had fortunately lent HIS aid in the struggle against the greed and bad faith of Laban. After these explanations he told them that YAHWEH, the Sovereign Ruler of Abraham and Yitschaq, had just commanded him to return to the camp in the Negeb.
The two wives, who it must be admitted seemed to have no great feeling for their father, agreed with their husband. It was a family scene in the best tradition. So far, observed Leah and Rachel, their father had entirely failed to give them 'any share...in the inheritance of [their] father's house'. Quite bluntly they expressed their bitterness: 'Does he not treat us as foreigners, for he has sold us and gone on to use up all our money.'
The argument was perhaps a little exaggerated. The two sisters were alluding to the mohar, a part of which was usually kept for the wife, and of course niggardly Laban had taken good care to do nothing of the sort. Hence the women's anger. For once Leah and Rachel seemed to be in complete agreement. 'So do all that YAHWEH has told you,' they concluded.
Without delay the secret move was carried out. Women and children took their places in the covered saddles which were strapped to the camels. The scanty furniture was quickly loaded. The camping equipment was loaded on to donkeys. Yacob's shepherds, servants and slaves did their best to take up positions all round their master's huge flocks, and in a tremendous cloud of dust the long caravan set off.
Before leaving, Rachel succeeded in obtaining entry into Laban's house, which was probably quite near. There she managed to lay hands on her father's teraphim. According to the small amount of information which we possess about these objects of worship it seems that they can be regarded, at least in the present case, as the domestic idols, the tutelary deities of the family. Excavations in Palestine have brought to light a certain number of these figurines which were venerated by the adherents of the polytheistic religions. They seem to have been used on occasion for certain magical activities connected with divination. In addition the teraphim constituted a title to the inheritance; we can understand in consequence the gravity of Rachel's act.
The journey went on and on. After fording the Euphrates the caravan turned south, making for Mount Gilead, the TransYardanian massif on the left bank of the Yardan and therefore to the south-east of the Lake of Gennesaret. It was well-wooded country and also rich in fine pastureland.
Laban Pursues Yacob
Three days after Yacob's departure Laban was informed of his nephew's rather unusual behaviour. The shearing was abandoned, and taking with him some of his sons, Laban set off in pursuit of the fugitive.
We know that Laban was a man of irascible temperament, so that a scene of some violence might be expected when the two men came face to face. In fact the encounter between them was far from assuming the dramatic character which might at first have been feared. Moreover, Bereshith tells us that that night YAHWEH [but not the god of Laban] came by night in a dream to Laban and said to him, 'On no account say anything whatever to Yacob'. For a polytheist any deity, even a foreign one, is to be treated with awe and reverence. Laban made up his mind to obey the order which had thus been given to him. That, of course, did not prevent a man of his quick temper from telling his nephew exactly what he thought, but matters never went to the extremes which might have been feared.
Directly Laban and Yacob met discussion was vehement and wide ranging. Laban's reproaches of Yacob were not exactly groundless: 'Why did you flee in secret, stealing away without letting me know so that I could send you on your way rejoicing, with music of tambourines and lyres? You did not even let me kiss my sons [grandsons] and daughters. You have behaved like a fool' (Bereshith 31: 27-9). Crestfallen, Yacob could only reply, 'I was afraid'.
Laban had not finished. 'Why,' he demanded, 'did you steal my gods?' He was referring to the teraphim. Yacob, who knew nothing of Rachel's theft, declared his total ignorance of the matter. And he suggested that his uncle should set about a methodical search of all the baggage; he promised that the culprit would not remain alive. First Leah's tent was inspected and then that of the two slave-girls. There now remained Rachel's tent. She had hidden the idols in the litter which, when unloaded from the camel, was placed in the shelter of the tent while the caravan was halted. Rachel was sitting on the litter. 'Do not look angry, my Lord, because I cannot rise in your presence, for I am as women are from time to time.' Among all the Semites a woman during her period was regarded as unclean and everything that she touched became defiled by the mere contact. We can understand why Laban did not search the litter; he even took care to leave the tent as soon as possible.
This was the cue for Yacob, with his usual guile, to launch into a vehement tirade, shouting out that he had been accused unjustly, calling to witness all those present at the insult done to him. It formed a good opportunity for him also to enumerate all the work that he had done for a very long time for a mere pittance:
“These twenty years I have been in your house; fourteen years I have worked for you for your two daughters, and six years for your flocks. If YAHWEH the Sovereign of my father, the Sovereign of Abraham, the Kinsman of Yitschaq, had not been with me, you would have sent me away empty-handed.”
Yacob was a diplomat of the first order; in a reasoned argument his native subtlety gave him the advantage.
Yacob Called Yisrael Index Yacob Sitemap Scripture History Through the Ages Yacob Called Yisrael Yacob and Esau Theft Of The Paternal Blessing Flight, The Only Solution For Yacob Yacob's Dream At Bethel Yacob Puts Up A Stele Named BethEl The Location Of Bethel Importance Of The Well, A Meeting Place Details Of The Mohar The Sons Of Yacob How Yacob Became Rich Yacob Leaves The Land Of The Fathers Treaty Between Yacob And Laban Messages Between Yacob And Esau Yacob Wrestles With YAHWEH Two Brothers, Yacob and Esau Meet Towards The Promised Land The Departure From Shechem The Conclusion Of Yacob