Sunday, October 28, 2007

Derived from Lavan

The Gemora (Kesuvos 57b) derives the source that a bride is given twelve months to prepare for her wedding from Lavan, when he requested from Eliezer that Rivkah should remain with them in order to prepare for her wedding.

The commentators ask: How can we learn out a halacha from the wicked Lavan?

It is noteworthy that there are several other halachos derived from Lavan.

The Yerushalmi (Moed Katan) learns out the halachos regarding the seven days of rejoicing after a wedding from Lavan.

Tosfos in Kiddushin (52a) relates an incident that occurred with Rabbeinu Tam that the son of Rabbi Oshaya Halevi betrothed the daughter of a wealthy man and he said, “Your daughter should be betrothed to me.” He failed to mention which daughter he was referring to. Rabbeinu Tam ruled that we can assume that he betrothed the older daughter. Proof to this is from Lavan.

The Admor Mi’Satmar explains: Every word in the Torah emanates from Heaven and halachos may be derived from there. These words were given over to Lavan for him to say. It is similar to that which the Torah states regarding Bila’am; Hashem placed the words into his mouth and only those words, was he granted permission to say.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

There is an interesting idea, I am told Al Pi Kabbalah, that Lavan actually is thought to represent a higher realm (Adam Kadmon) than Ya'akov (Atzilus), but the expression manifests as absolute evil rather than good due to subsequent Tzimtzumim.

Avromi said...

Yasherkoach!

SM"B cites Zohar and other seforim that there were nitzotzei Torah by Lavan which Yaakov was drawing from, for the twelve shevatim came from lavan's strength. Converts like Shemaya and Avtalyon and Rabbi Akiva also emanated from these holy nitzotzos. There are many of these nitzotzos around and their tachlis is to bring more sanctity to the world.